The GI’s importance relates to blood sugars affects on the hormone insulin, which
is the primary hormonal mediator of fat storage, among the hundreds of functions
of insulin.

Among its hundreds of different functions, the body uses thehormone insulin to
control the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood, help pull amino acids into the cells and turn on protein synthesis in lean tissues, and is directly linked to regulating body fatstorage.

Problems with the body’s ability to regulate blood glucose appear if insulin does
not properly bind to its receptors on the membranes of the cells or if, for other
reasons the cells do not readily accept blood sugar.

As already indicated the general name for the failure of normal amounts of insulin
to maintain blood sugar within acceptable levels is insulin resistance.

When insulin does not bring blood sugar down after meals, the body secretes
higher amounts of insulin until serum glucose levels eventually fall. Not surprisingly, diets and nutrients, which reduce the amount of insulin required
by the body, also appear reduce the tendency toward excessive weight gain,
especially in insulin insensitive people.

Understanding the GI allows a person to keep a steady and predictable blood sugar
level which can lead to possible improvements inbody fat levels, energy levels, etc. For the diabetic (the original reason the GI was invented) it can mean the
difference between life and death.